JN302
BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND
POLITICS
NCTJ Public Affairs
Central Govt: Joy Johnson
Local Govt: Paul Francis
pfrancis@thekmgroup.co.uk,
OVERVIEW OF TODAY
• Aims/rationale of course
• Topics to be covered
• Course logistics
2
COURSE RATIONALE
• Introduction to key topics/issues in
contemporary British politics
• Who holds political power?
• Controlling power - How far is power
responsive and accountable to citizens
• Controlling the money
• Frontline services
3
Essential Public Affairs
• Why cover Public Affairs – relevance to
journalists?
• Practical application
• Knowledge and context
4
Political context
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No one party won overall majority
Hung Parliament
Negotiations for coalition agreement
Compromises and agreement
Mid term audit pledges kept promises broken
Conservatives/Liberal Democrats
Labour official opposition
Controlling the deficit the agreement’s priority
5
Economic context
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Deficit reduction
Welfare changes
Cuts
Tax increases
Growth
Double dip recession (triple?)
6
Constitutional reforms
• Fixed term Parliaments of 5 years
• There is still a mechanism for a vote of no
confidence in the government (by a simple
majority) and then fails within fourteen days
to pass a motion of confidence in a new
government. Complicated so probably
wouldn’t happen.
• Or by a two thirds (unlikely)
• Vernon Bogdanor The Coalition and the Constitution
7
Constitutional reforms cont
• House of Lords reform blocked by the
Tories :
• Clegg retaliated: Boundary changes –
blocked (reduction in the number of MPs
falls)
• Labour breathes a sigh of relief
8
Constitutional Reforms
• Pressure from Conservative backbenchers
for a referendum on repatriating powers
from the EU
• PM to make a speech promising a ‘new
settlement for Britain in the EU’
• Anti EU press particularly News
International and Associated
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Constitutional reform cont
• Michael Gove education secretary has made it known
that he would vote to leave if there was a referendum
today on whether the UK should cut its ties with
Brussels - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article2217355/Were-ready-walk-Europe-Prime-Ministersclosest-ally-Michael-Gove-sparks-EU-furoredramatic-admission.html
• Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond supported him
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19941383
• Heseltine and Mandelson join together to combat Euro
sceptism
10
Constitutional Change cont
Who do I ring when I want to talk to Europe?
• Senior official in Obama’s
administration Philip Gordon said inn a
Q and A: “We welcome an outwardlooking European Union with Britain in
it.”
• Response from Downing Street. “The
US wants an outward looking EU. So
do we”.
11
Devolution
• After a troubled path – 1979 Labour govt
lost a referendum (didn’t reach the
benchmark of 40%) fell after vote of no
confidence.
• Democratic deficit particularly in Scotland
• New Labour introduced devolution to halt
nationalism 1998
• Anthony King The British Constitution, ch 8
12
Scottish independence
• Referendum in 2014
• "Do you agree that Scotland should be an
independent country?"
• The question will now be scrutinised by the
Electoral Commission watchdog.
• Critics of the question say it encourages a "yes"
vote by not mentioning an end to the Union.
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotlandpolitics-20256108
13
Coalition government
• Coalition agreement its programme for
government
14
POLITICAL POWER IN A
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
EUROPEAN
UNION
EXECUTIVE
(PRIME MINISTER/CABINET)
Representatives
ACCOUNTABILITY
REPRESENTATIVE
(MP OR PARTY)
VOTER
15
Separation of power in the UK
checks and balances
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The executive (the government)
The legislature (Parliament)
The judiciary (the courts)
But there is overlap in the UK
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Rule of Law
• The state must act within the law and the
law must be enforced equally on all.
• MPs and Peers’ expenses
17
CHALLENGE TO POLITICAL
AUTHORITY
Citizen disengagement
• Declining electoral turnout; falling levels of political
trust; ‘protest’ participation.
Weakening (?) role of political institutions
• Electoral system gives power on 35% of vote;
Declining membership of political parties;
• Whipping in Parliament
Challenge to government
• Fragmentation of power: devolution/EU
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KEY QUESTIONS
• Nature and location of political power: How
far has power moved away from (central)
governments?
• To what extent does (representative) political
authority retain the support and engagement
of citizens?
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Political context
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What a difference six months
makes
21
Coalition partners – first the
marriage then the Ronseal Deal
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcXrMT
MRCL8&NR=1
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics20928698
22
1
Introduction to module
2
Nature of system
Overview of the British political system
3
Legislature
Workings of Parliament, separation of powers
4
Role of the Prime
Minister , Cabinet
and Civil Service
From Prime Ministerial to Presidential?
5
Mending a Broken
system
Does the electoral system for Westminster
need reforming?
Failed Referendum in May 2011
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Treasury
Controlling the Money
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Fragmentation of
authority
Is the UK breaking up?
8
Europe
Is the centre of British government London or
Brussels? Pressures on referendum
9
National Health
Service
What we have now and proposed reforms
10
Audit of political
system
Is government in Britain representative and
accountable?
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Spring Term
Monday Lectures 2-3
Wed Seminar 11-12 and 12-1
Thursday NCTJ Class 2-3
Summer term revision classes
Monday and Thursday
Reading
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Text books
NCTJ – Essential Public Affairs for Journalists, Morrison
Coalition Agreement and mid term audit
Library resources
Recommended
Vernon Bogdanor Coalition and the Constitution
Anthony King, The British Constitution
David Laws, 22 Days in May
Kavanagh & Cowley, British General election 2010
Steve Richards, Whatever it Takes
Andrew Rawnsley, End of the Party
25
ASSESSMENT
• University Exam: 50%
• Coursework: 50%
- One essay of 2,000 words
NCTJ PUBLIC AFFAIRS - June exam
2 papers – Central and Local Government
26
Next week
Political System
Reading Parliamentary
Democracy in the UK
Morrison